Folding table leg lock



Sept. 22, 1953 H. N. ANDERSON FOLDING TABLE LEG LOCK.

Filed Oct. 14, 1952 4 M I I I I I I u I Harry N. Anderson INVENTOR.

9 -BY M5,?!

Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FOLDING TABLE LEG LOCK Harry N. Anderson, Orleans, Vt.

Application October 14, 1952, Serial No. 314,688

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in leg folding devices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a folding table leg lock, whereby the supporting legs of a table may be held extended and perpendicular to the top or wherein the legs may be folded against the top.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a folding table leg lock involving a corner base member that is pivotally attached to a supporting leg and which base member swingably supports a novel and im-i proved locking dog that will lockably engage a pin attached to the supporting leg.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved folding table leg lock involving a finger actuated latch means that is readily depressed to permit folding of the leg against a table top and which locking means will lockably engage the leg as the latter is swung to a position perpendicular to thetopr Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, references being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a table structure and showing the present invention operatively connecting the leg to the table t p; a

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line, 2--2 of Figure 1 and with dotted lines showing the leg raised to an inoperative position against the table top; and,

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral It represents a table top having a depending peripheral skirt portion 12 that is provided with corners M. A channel shaped base member I6 is disposed at each corner l4 and comprises spaced parallel flanges I8 and 20 that are connected by web 22.

Flanges I8 are secured against the skirt portion l2 by fasteners and the webs 22 abut surfaces of the skirt portion 12 that are perpendicular to the surfaces to the skirt portion to which the flanges l8 are secured. Tongues 26 are struck outwardly from the flanges 20 and are coplanar with their associated webs 22 to rest against the skirt portion l2. A headed fastener 28 extends through each of the tongues and into cured to the ends 32 by rivets or the like 36.

The spaced flanges of the channels 34 are connected together by additional rivets 38 that extend through the ends 32. The rivets 38 are formed with outwardly projecting pins 46 that extend past the flanges 26 and which will clear the notched corners 42 of the flanges 20, when the channels 34 are swung to a vertical position or a position perpendicular to the top 16 upon pivots M that extend through the upper corners of the flanges I8, 20 and the upper corners of the channels 34.

Flanges iii are provided with detents 46 that will be engaged by a flange of each channel 34 as the latter are raised to a position parallel to the table top It, and thereby retain the legs 36 raised or under the table top. The detents or lugs 46 may be pressed from the flanges It or suitably fixedly attached thereto to form cams against which the adjacent flanges of the channels 34 will ride to frictionally retain the legs toward the table top I9.

L-shaped dogs or latches is are provided with flat limbs 56 that are pivotly secured to the outer faces of the flanges 25 by pivots 52. The other limbs 54 of the dogs 48 are provided with notched outer free ends 56 that accommodate the heads of fasteners 28 and which will rest against the tongues 26. Perpendicular extensions 53 on the limbs 56 extend from the opposite sides of the limbs 54 from the limbs 56 and underlie recesses 60 in the lower edge of skirt portion it. Coil springs 62 in the recesses 69 engage the combined abutments and finger grips 58 to urge the limbs 54 against the tongues 26 and the notched ends 64 of limbs 50 across the notched corners 32 of flanges 20.

In practical use of the present invention, as the legs 26 are swung away from the table top 16-, the pins 46 will ride or cam against the free ends of the limbs 50 until the pins will snap in the notches'in ends 64. In this manner, the legs 30 will be locked perpendicular to the table top H]. As the finger grips 45 are pressed upwardly,

the limbs 50 will release the pins and the legs may be swung against the under-surface of the table top.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A table leg mount comprising a substantially channel shaped base member having spaced flanges and a web connecting said flanges, a mounting tongue struck from one of said flanges, said one of'said flanges. having a notched corner adapted to receive a pin fixed to a leg that is pivotally secured between said flanges, and a looking dog pivotally attached to the outer pair of said one of said flanges and having notch; registry with the notched corner to receive a pin entering said notched corner, said dog being substantially L-shaped with thenotch intone;

limb, a finger grip and abutment on the other limb of said dog adapted to underlie a coil springrecessed in the peripheral; skirt of a table top, said. other limb: of. said dog' having: notched. free endportiondisposed in juxtapositioniwith said tongue, and; a. headed fastener extending pendicular walls; of said; skirt portion: at, the.

corners thereof, a. leg. reinforcing channel received within each, base: member. and pivotally secured between the- ,flanges of. the base members, a pin, fixedlto each channel,.,the second-j.

flanges of. said base members having notched. corners-for accommodating the pins to permit the Webs of the channels to abutthe. websoithe base, members, an L-rShfilDQdilOCkiHQ' dog-:pivoted to the second flanges of the base membersand. each having a limbengageablewith the; pins, a combined fingergrip and abutment on the other limb of each dOQAIIIClGIIYlHg.theqsklltf130131110115,

and coil springs engaging the skirt portion and said combined finger grips and abutments and urging the dogs into locking engagement with the pins.

3. In a table structure including a top having a depending peripheral skirt portion with corners, a channel shaped base member at each corner of said skirt portion, each of said base members having first and second flanges and a web joining said-j.flanges, the web'sand first flanges of said base members contacting relatively perpendicular walls of said skirt portion at the corners thereof, a leg reinforcing channel received within-.eachibase member and pivotally secured between the flanges of the base members, a pin fixedltozeachichannel, the second flanges of said base members, having notched corners for accommodating the pins to permit the webs of thechannels to abut the webs of the base members, an L-shaped locking dog pivoted to the second. flanges. of,. the base. members and each having alimbj. engageable. with the pins, a come bined. finger, grip, and. abutment. on the other limb, of. each dog, underlying theskirt. portion, and, coil, springs. engaging, the. skirt portion and said, combined finger. grips, and abutments and.

urging the dogs into locking engagement. with the pins atongue struck from/each of the second flanges, a headedfastenersecuring each. tongue to the. skirt portion, said other. limbs of said gdogs having notched ,ends, accommodating the .heads of" the fasteners, and urged. toward. said tongues.

by saidjsprings.

HARRY. N. ANDERSON.

References Cited" in the file of,j this patent. UNITED. STATES; PATENTS.- 

